By Oxford Reporters
Nigeria currently has no Ebola case following the medical evacuation of the index patient and her husband to Switzerland, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, disclosed this on Monday in a statement published on his official X account, noting that Nigeria would continue monitoring 52 contacts linked to the case.
Janabi said the patient and her husband, who are both Swiss citizens, were evacuated from Nigeria earlier on Monday to enable Switzerland to take over their continued medical management and follow-up.
According to him, the patient was clinically stable at the time of evacuation after Nigerian medical teams successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilised her condition.
The WHO official commended the Federal Government, health workers, clinicians, emergency responders and other partners for their contributions to Nigeria’s Ebola response.
He described the successful management and evacuation of the patient as a remarkable achievement, highlighting the capacity of Nigerian healthcare professionals to respond effectively to public health emergencies.
Janabi said the development demonstrated Africa’s expertise, resilience and leadership in public health, particularly when countries collaborate to respond to health emergencies.
Despite the development, he stressed that continued vigilance remained critical, urging health authorities to sustain contact monitoring and other public health response measures.
He explained that Nigeria would continue monitoring 52 contacts, while Switzerland would assume responsibility for the patient’s continued medical management and follow up with the 53rd contact, her husband.
The WHO regional director emphasised that maintaining surveillance and monitoring contacts remained essential to protecting public health.
The evacuation marks a significant development in Nigeria’s response to the Ebola case, with authorities expected to sustain monitoring efforts to prevent further transmission.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
